TOILET OVERFLOW PAN
An apparatus for containing overflow water from a toilet comprises a base member having a central bore therethrough and an upwardly extending exterior wall extending around a periphery thereof and a sleeve extending through the central bore having a top end sized to be slidably received within a drain pipe for the toilet. The top end of the sleeve extends a riser distance above the base member so as to form an annular trap around the sleeve. The apparatus further comprises a top support extending substantially radially outwardly from the top end of the sleeve having openings around a periphery thereof so as to permit water introduced to a top surface of the base member to drain into the trap and a plurality of apertures extending through the sleeve proximate to the top support so as to drain water retained in the trap into the drain pipe for the toilet.
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to drains in general and in particular to an overflow pan for a toilet.
2. Description of Related Art
Toilets are a common fixture in most modern buildings. Toilets commonly include a tank for storing water and a bowl for receiving waste material. Typical toilets include a bend so as to retain a portion of water in the bowl as well as to prevent the escape of sewer gases. One common difficulty with conventional toilets is the potential of an overflow or other water leak condition. During such water leaks, water may be discharged from the toilet bowl onto the surrounding floor surface which is known to cause water damage to both the floor and surrounding objects.
Previous attempts to prevent water escaping from toilets have been unsatisfactory. In particular, water collection devices have been provided below the floor around the drain pipe to collect water dripped from a toilet discharge flow. Examples of such devices are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 7,934,516, issued May 3, 2011 to Jaynes. Disadvantageously, as such devices are located below the floor, installation of these devices must be completed either before completion of the floor or by removing the floor for retrofitting purposes.
Other attempts have been made to provide water collection drain pans around the base of the toilet. Such devices include a drain located therein for disposing of the collected water. Disadvantageously, such drains are required to penetrate the floor of the building to the drain pipe requiring additional holes be drilled in the floor. Examples of such devices are illustrated in US Patent Application Serial No. US 2011/0120504 to Barniak, J R.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to a further embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a apparatus for containing overflow water from a toilet. The apparatus comprises a base member having a central bore therethrough and an upwardly extending exterior wall extending around a periphery thereof. The apparatus further comprise a sleeve extending through the central bore having a top end sized to be slidably received within a drain pipe for the toilet. The top end of the sleeve extends a riser distance above the base member so as to form an annular trap around the sleeve. The apparatus further comprises a top support extending substantially radially outwardly from the top end of the sleeve having openings around a periphery thereof so as to permit water introduced to a top surface of the base member to drain into the trap and a plurality of apertures extending through the sleeve proximate to the top support so as to drain water retained in the trap into the drain pipe for the toilet.
The top support may be substantially planar. The top support may include a downturned portion therearound. The downturned portion may include the openings therethrough. The openings may be located proximate to the base member.
The base member may include a substantially horizontal portion proximate to the sleeve and an angularly oriented section therearound. The angled portion may include a plurality of alternating radially spaced apart raised portions. The horizontal portion may extend parallel to a floor surrounding the drain pipe. The angularly oriented portion may extend above a horizontal plane defined by the horizontal portion by an angle of between 5 and 30 degrees.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed a system for maintaining a toilet, the system comprising an apparatus for containing overflow water from a toilet. The apparatus comprises a base member having a central bore therethrough and an upwardly extending exterior wall extending around a periphery thereof. The apparatus further comprise a sleeve extending through the central bore having a top end sized to be slidably received within a drain pipe for the toilet. The top end of the sleeve extends a riser distance above the base member so as to form an annular trap around the sleeve. The apparatus further comprises a top support extending substantially radially outwardly from the top end of the sleeve having openings around a periphery thereof so as to permit water introduced to a top surface of the base member to drain into the trap and a plurality of apertures extending through the sleeve proximate to the top support so as to drain water retained in the trap into the drain pipe for the toilet. The system further comprises a cleaning tube having a valve therewith extending from a fill pipe for the toilet.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention wherein similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view,
Referring to
With reference to
With reference to
The base member includes a raised outer portion 36 extending from a top surface 38 thereof. The raised outer portion 36 extends annularly around top support 70 as described further below and is defined by a substantially horizontal surface 40 and a substantially vertical surface 42 although it will be appreciated that other profiles may be useful as well. As illustrated in
With reference to
The sleeve 50 includes a plurality of apertures 60 located proximate to the top end 52 thereof. The apertures 60 may have any shape as desired by a user, such as, by way of non-limiting example, rectangular, circular, oval, square, triangular or irregular. As illustrated in
The top support 70 comprises substantially planar disk-shaped top member 72 having a plurality of alternating solid and hollow sections, 74 and 76, respectively extending radially around the sleeve 50. Each of the hollow sections includes an end wall 78 having a gap 79 thereunder. The top support 70 further includes an annular void 77 therearound so as to maintain each hollow section in fluidic communication with each other. The gap 79 permits water flowing down the angular portion 30 of the base member 22 to flow into the hollow sections 76 where such water forms a vapour trap therewith.
In operation, the apparatus 20 may be applied to a toilet drain with the sleeve 50 slidably and sealably located within the drain pipe 12 as illustrated in
After installation, a quantity of water may be introduced to the base member 22 which will then be collected within a trap between the sleeve 50 and the raised portions 36 below the apertures 60, generally indicated at 84. As illustrated, the sleeve 50 may extend above the base member 22 by a riser distance, generally indicated at 86 so as to locate the apertures 60 at a distance above the base member 22 to retain a desired quantity of water within the trap. It will be observed that the water located within the trap 84 prevents the escape of sewer gas from the drain pipe through the apparatus. In the event of an overflow condition, excess water may escape the toilet bowl 6 and run down the side of the toilet to the base 4 where it is collected by the base member 22. The base member 22 directs the water to the trap 84 along the angular portions 30 where it is retained until a sufficient quantity of water is introduced thereinto such that the water level in the trap reaches the apertures 60. Thereafter if any additional water is introduced to the trap 84, the apertures permit a corresponding volume to be drained therefrom into the drain pipe 12 through the apertures 60.
As illustrated in
With reference to
While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.
Claims
1. An apparatus for containing overflow water from a toilet, the apparatus comprising:
- a base member having a central bore therethrough and an upwardly extending exterior wall extending around a periphery thereof;
- a sleeve extending through said central bore having a top end, said sleeve sized to be slidably received within a drain pipe for the toilet, said top end of said sleeve extending a riser distance above said base member so as to form an annular trap around said sleeve;
- a top support extending substantially radially outwardly from said top end of said sleeve, said top support having openings around a periphery thereof so as to permit water introduced to a top surface of said base member to drain into said trap; and
- a plurality of apertures extending through said sleeve proximate to said top support so as to drain water retained in said trap into said drain pipe for the toilet.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said top support is substantially planar.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said top support includes a downturned portion therearound.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said downturned portion includes said openings therethrough.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said openings are located proximate to said base member.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said base member includes a substantially horizontal portion proximate to said sleeve and an angularly oriented section therearound.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said angled portion includes a plurality of alternating radially spaced apart raised portions.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said horizontal portion extends parallel to a floor surrounding said drain pipe.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said angularly oriented portion extends above a horizontal plane defined by said horizontal portion by an angle of between 5 and 30 degrees.
10. A system for maintaining a toilet, the system comprising an apparatus of claim 1 and a cleaning tube having a valve therewith extending from a fill pipe for the toilet.
Type: Application
Filed: May 17, 2012
Publication Date: Nov 21, 2013
Patent Grant number: 8776280
Inventors: Robert Baranj (Pitt Meadows), Bentley Dennis Dale (Pitt Meadows)
Application Number: 13/473,923